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Monday, December 2, 2013

Vatican
City, 2 December 2013 (VIS) – Today, in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience Benjamin
Netanyahu, prime minister of the State of Israel, who subsequently
went on to meet with secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin,
accompanied by the under-secretary for Relations with States, Msgr.
Antoine Camilleri.

During
the colloquial discussions, attention was focused on the complex
political and social situation in the Middle East, with particular
reference to the reinstatement of negotiations between Israelis and
Palestinians, expressing hope that a just and lasting solution
respecting the rights of both Parties may be reached as soon as
possible.

Aside
from indicating the Holy Father’s plans for a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land, various questions were considered regarding the relations
between the State Authorities and the local Catholic communities, as
well as between the State of Israel and the Holy See, in the hope
that the Agreement which has been in preparation for some time may be
concluded forthwith.

Vatican
City, 2 December 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis today received in
audience a group of prelates from the Bishops' Conference of the
Netherlands on their “ad limina” visit. The Holy Father focused
on how to accompany those who suffer from “spiritual emptiness”
and who seek the meaning of life. “Listen to them”, he said, “to
help them share in the hope, joy, and capacity to carry on that Jesus
Christ gives us”.

“The
Church”, he continued, “not only proposes immutable moral truths
and attitudes which go against the grain, but also proposes them as
the key to the good of humanity and social development. Christians
have the mission of taking up this challenge. The education of
consciences therefore becomes a priority, especially through the
formation of critical judgement, in order to have a positive approach
to social realities: superficial judgement and resignation to
indifference can thus be avoided”.

In
the society of the Netherlands, “strongly characterised by
secularism”, the Pope invited the prelates to “be present both in
public debate in all spheres which affect humanity, to make visible
God's mercy and his tenderness to every living creature. … As I
have often stated, … the Church enlarges not by proselytism but by
attraction. She is sent everywhere to awaken, reawaken and maintain
hope! This brings us to the importance of encouraging the faithful to
seize opportunities for dialogue, to be present in those places where
the future is decided; they will thus be able to bring their
contribution into the debates on important social matters regarding,
for instance, the family, marriage and the end of life”.

“In
a country rich in many respects, poverty affects a growing number of
people. Make the most of the generosity of the faithful to bring the
light and compassion of Christ where He is awaited, and especially
among the most marginalised people”, the Pope continued.
Furthermore, Catholic schools, which provide a solid education for
the young, must continue to favour their human and spiritual
formation, in a spirit of dialogue and brotherhood with those who do
not share their faith”.

He
went on to reconfirm the importance of “advancing along the path of
ecumenism”, and reminded the bishops that the future and the
vitality of the Church in the Netherlands depend also on priestly and
religious vocations, stressing the importance of being close to
priests, of listening to and guiding them as necessary. “Do not
forget to go towards those who do not approach you; some of them,
unfortunately, are disappointed in their efforts”.

“In
particular”, he added, “I wish to express my compassion and to
ensure my closeness in prayer to every victim of sexual abuse, and to
their families; I ask you to continue to support them along the
painful path of healing, that they have undertaken with courage”.

Vatican
City, 2 December 2013 (VIS) – Today at 4 p.m. the Roman parish of
San Cirillo Alessandrino, home to a large number of immigrants,
received a visit from Pope Francis, who met with the children who
have been baptised during the past year along with their parents,
children who will receive their first communion this year, and the
sick. Before celebrating Mass, the Holy Father confessed seven
parishioners and, throughout the Eucharistic celebration,
administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to nine children. It is
the second time during his pontificate that the Holy Father has
visited a parish in the capital – the first was during the month of
May when he visited the parish of Sts. Elizabeth and Zechariah.

“Our
life is a path which we must follow to arrive at the encounter with
Jesus. The most important thing that can happen to a person is to
encounter Jesus, who loves us, who has saved us, who gave his life
for us”, the Pope said, addressing the newly confirmed children.
“We might wonder: but when will I meet Jesus? Only at the end? No!
… All our lives are an encounter with Jesus, when we pray, when we
go to Mass and when we do good works; when we visit the sick and when
we help the poor; when we think of others, when we are not selfish,
when we are kind … in these things we always find Jesus. And this
is exactly what the path of life is: advancing towards Jesus”.

“Always
remember: life is a path. A path to encounter Jesus. At the end, and
always. A path where we do not encounter Jesus is not a Christian
path”. “'But Father', you might ask me”, he continued, speaking
off the cuff, “'You know that this path is a hard one for me,
because I am a great sinner, I have committed many sins... How can I
encounter Jesus?'. But you know that the people Jesus sought the most
were the greatest sinners; and people reproached Him for this, and
those who considered themselves righteous said that He could not be a
true prophet – look at the company He keeps! He stayed with
sinners. And He said, I have come for those who are in need of
health, who need to be healed, and Jesus cured our sins. And on this
path … we are all sinners – even when we make mistakes, Jesus
comes to us and forgives us. And this forgiveness that we receive in
Confession is an encounter with Jesus. We always encounter Jesus”.

“And
we go through life like this, as the prophet said, towards the
mountain, until the day in which the definitive encounter will take
place. … This is Christian life: walking along, advancing united,
as brothers, wishing good upon each other. … Be courageous, do not
be afraid! Life is this path”, concluded the Holy Father, who,
following Mass, spoke with several groups of faithful before
returning to the Vatican shortly before 8 p.m.

Vatican
City, 2 December 2013 (VIS) – On the first Sunday of Advent, the
Holy Father appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in
the square. “This day has a special charm”, said the Pope. “It
gives us a deep sense of history. We rediscover the beauty of taking
the same path together: the Church, with her vocation and mission,
and humanity as a whole, populations, civilisations, cultures, all
walking along paths through time”.

Pope
Francis emphasised that this path never ends. “As in the life of
every one of us there is the need to start again, to get up again, to
rediscover the meaning and aim of our existence, so for the great
human family is it necessary to continually renew the common horizon
towards which we all strive”. The Holy Father commented that the
best example of this spiritual attitude is that of the Virgin Mary,
and her Magnificat, the hymn of the People of God on their path. “Let
us allow ourselves to be guided by her in this time of waiting and
active watchfulness”.

Following
the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims present and
mentioned that today is World AIDS Day. “We express our closeness
to those who are affected, especially children; a solid closeness in
the commitment of many missionaries and workers. Let us pray for them
all, and also for doctors and researchers. May every sick person,
without exception, have access to the necessary treatment”.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon in St. Peter's
Basilica the Holy Father presided at the first vespers of the first
Sunday of Advent with students from the Roman universities. Before
the arrival of the Pope, around 4 p.m., Cardinal Agostino Vallini,
vicar general, welcomed the image of Maria “Sedes Sapientiae”,
patron of university students, and guided the preparatory prayer for
the renewal of the profession of faith of the young people who are to
be confirmed.

After
the prayer of the Rosary, the Pope pronounced a homily, commenting on
the letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians in which he expresses his
wish that God might sanctify him unto perfection. This wish, said the
Pope, “demonstrates on the one hand his concern for his holiness,
and on the other, his great confidence in the Lord's intervention.
This concern on the part of the apostle is also valid for us, today's
Christians. The fullness of Christian life … is always besieged by
the temptation to surrender to the worldly spirit. For this reason
God gives us his help, by which we are able to persevere and preserve
the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us, the new life … But
why, after offering us his spiritual treasures, does God have to
intervene again to maintain their integrity? … Because we are weak
… our human nature is frail and God's gifts are conserved in us, as
if in 'earthen vessels'”.

God's
intervention in favour of our efforts “until the definitive
encounter with Jesus, is an expression of his fidelity. It is like a
dialogue between our weakness and his fidelity. … Therefore, he
brings to completion the work that he has initiated in each one of
us, by his call to us. This gives us security and great trust: a
trust that is … upheld by God and which requires our active and
courageous collaboration, faced with the challenges of the present
moment”.

He
continued, “Those who do not face these challenges, who do not rise
up to them, do not live. Your will and your capacities, united with
the power of the Holy Spirit which lives in each one of you from the
day of your Baptism, allows you to be more than mere spectators –
to be active agents in contemporary events. Please, do not look upon
life from the balcony, as an observer! Get involved, where there are
challenges, where your help is needed to work for life, development,
the fight for the dignity of persons, the struggle against poverty,
the battle for values, and the many other battles we encounter every
day”.

The
challenges that university students are called upon to face “with
inner strength and evangelical boldness” take various forms. “The
social-cultural context of which you are a part is at times weighed
down by mediocrity and boredom. You must not resign yourselves to the
monotony of everyday life, but rather cultivate broad-ranging plans,
go beyond the ordinary; do not allow yourselves to be robbed of your
youthful enthusiasm! It would also be a mistake to allow yourselves
to be imprisoned by the weak and uniform thought, that which
conforms, or indeed by a globalisation understood as uniformity”.

To
overcome this risk, “the model to be followed in true globalisation
– which is a good thing – is not that of the sphere, in which
every irregularity is smoothed over and all differences disappear –
but rather that of the polyhedron, which includes multiple elements
and respects unity in variety. In defending unity, we also defend
diversity. The contrary to that unity would not be human. … If you
do not allow yourselves to be conditioned by dominant opinions, but
remain faithful to Christian ethical and religious principles, you
will find the courage to swim against the tide. In our globalised
world, you are able to contribute to safeguarding peculiarities and
specific characteristics, seeking however not to lower ethical
levels. Indeed, the plurality of thought and individuality reflect
the multiform knowledge of God when it approaches truth with honesty
and intellectual rigour, when it draws close to goodness and to
beauty, so that each person can be a gift to the benefit of all”.

The
Pope concluded by encouraging the students in their “commitment to
walk the path of faith and to behave in a manner consistent with the
Gospel”, in order that it might accompany them in this time of
Advent, and so they might “live in an authentic way the
commemoration of the Nativity of the Lord”.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) – Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is leading a
delegation sent by the Holy See to Istanbul to participate in
celebrations marking the Feast of St. Andrew, patron of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Holy See and the
Patriarchate exchange regular annual visits for the feast days of
their respective patrons – the Saints Peter and Paul, celebrated on
29 June in Rome and St. Andrew, celebration on 30 November in
Istanbul.

The
Holy See delegation to the celebration is made up of Cardinal Koch;
Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity; Fr. Andrea Palmieri, an official of the
same dicastery, and Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, apostolic nuncio to
Turkey. The group attended a solemn divine liturgy celebrated by
Bartholomew I in the patriarchal church of Fanar, then met with the
Patriarch and the synodal commission which oversees relations with
the Catholic Church.

Cardinal
Koch presented a gift and a message from Pope Francis to Bartholomew
I following the divine liturgy. The delegation also visited the Holy
Theological School of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Halki, closed by
the Turkish authorities in 1971 and awaiting permission to reopen.

In
his message, the Pope writes: “Your Holiness, beloved brother in
Christ, this is the first time that I address you on the occasion of
the feast of the Apostle Andrew, the first-called. I take this
opportunity to assure you of my intention to pursue fraternal
relations between the Church of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
It is for me a source of great reassurance to reflect on the depth
and the authenticity of our existing bonds, the fruit of a
grace-filled journey along which the Lord has guided our Churches
since the historic encounter in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and
Patriarch Athenagoras, the fiftieth anniversary of which we will
celebrate shortly. God, the source of all peace and love, has taught
us throughout these years to regard one another as members of the
same family. For indeed we have one Lord and one Saviour. We belong
to him through the gift of the good news of salvation transmitted by
the apostles, through the one baptism in the name of the Holy
Trinity, and through the holy ministry. United in Christ, therefore,
we already experience the joy of authentic brothers in Christ, while
yet fully aware of not having reached the goal of full communion. In
anticipation of the day in which we will finally take part together
in the Eucharistic feast, Christians are duty-bound to prepare to
receive this gift of God through prayer, inner conversion, renewal of
life and fraternal dialogue.

“Our
joy in celebrating the feast of the Apostle Andrew must not make us
turn our gaze from the dramatic situation of the many people who are
suffering due to violence and war, hunger, poverty and grave natural
disasters. I am aware that you are deeply concerned for the situation
of Christians in the Middle East and for their right to remain in
their homelands. Dialogue, pardon and reconciliation are the only
possible means to achieve the resolution of conflict. Let us be
unceasing in our prayer to the all-powerful and merciful God for
peace in this region, and let us continue to work for reconciliation
and the just recognition of peoples’ rights.

“Your
Holiness, the memory of the martyrdom of the apostle Saint Andrew
also makes us think of the many Christians of all the Churches and
Ecclesial Communities who in many parts of the world experience
discrimination and at times pay with their own blood the price of
their profession of faith. We are presently marking the 1700th
anniversary of Constantine’s Edict, which put an end to religious
persecution in the Roman Empire in both East and West, and opened new
channels for the dissemination of the Gospel. Today, as then,
Christians of East and West must give common witness so that,
strengthened by the Spirit of the risen Christ, they may disseminate
the message of salvation to the entire world. There is likewise an
urgent need for effective and committed cooperation among Christians
in order to safeguard everywhere the right to express publicly one’s
faith and to be treated fairly when promoting the contribution which
Christianity continues to offer to contemporary society and culture”,
the Pope concluded.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) - “You come as witnesses of the
apostolic origins of our faith. Since then, the joy of the Gospel
continues to enlighten humanity, and you continue to walk on in this
joy, in spite of the many ordeals you have experienced throughout
history, up to our times”, said the Holy Father this morning as he
received in audience a group of pilgrims from the Greek-Melkite
Church, accompanied by the Patriarch of Antioch.

Those
who are suffering “great tribulation” in Syria, those who have
lost their lives, and the their families were foremost in the Pope's
thoughts; he implored the Lord to dry their tears and assured them of
the nearness of all the Church, so that she might “comfort them in
their anguish and keep them from desperation”.

“We
firmly believe in the strength of prayer and reconciliation, and
renew our heartfelt appeal to world leaders to bring an end to all
violence so that, through dialogue, a just and lasting resolution
might be found to a conflict that has already caused too much
damage”, he continued. “In particular, I encourage mutual respect
between the various religious confessions, to ensure for all a future
based on the inalienable rights of the person, including religious
freedom. For centuries your Church has known how to co-exist
peacefully with other religions and is called to fulfil a fraternal
role in the Middle East”.

“I
repeat to you too: we cannot resign ourselves to thinking of a Middle
East without Christians. However, many of your brothers and sisters
have emigrated, and the communities of the diaspora are strongly
represented here today. I encourage them to hold firm the human and
spiritual roots of the Melkite tradition, protecting everywhere the
Greek-Catholic identity, because the entire Church needs the
patrimony of the Christian East, which you too inherit. At the same
time, be a visible sign to all of our oriental brothers of the
longed-for communion with Peter's Successor”.

Francis
went on to speak about ecumenism, faithful to the principles of
Vatican Council II, and asked God's assistance in following this path
and in ensuring that the Greek Melkites may always be “co-operators
in evangelisation, cultivating the ecumenical and interreligious
sensibility” that is possible “thanks to the unity to which the
Christ's disciples are called; and unity always requires conversion
on the part of everyone. … Divisions within our communities
seriously obstruct ecclesial life, communion and witness”.

The
Pope concluded by invoking St. Andrew, whose feast day is celebrated
today, and who is greatly venerated by the Eastern Churches; through
his intercession he asked the Lord for “peace in the world and
mercy for our souls”.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) – The International Theological
Commission, presided by Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will hold its plenary
session in the Vatican from 2 to 6 December. Its work will be led by
the secretary general, Fr. Serge-Thomas Bonino O.P.

In
this session the Commission proposes to study three themes of notable
importance: the question of monotheism, the meaning of the social
doctrine of the Church in the broader context of Christian doctrine,
and the problem of the “sensus fidei”.

At
the end of the plenary, the members of the Commission will be
received in audience by the Holy Father.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) – The Board of Superintendence of the
Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) has appointed Rolando
Marranci as General Director, as of today, 30 November 2013. His
promotion from the post of Deputy General Director, a position he
assumed on 1 July 2013, has been approved by the Cardinals'
Commission, according to a communique from the Institute.

Vatican
City, 30 November 2013 (VIS) – In a letter written in Latin, dated
29 November and made public today, the Holy Father nominated Cardinal
Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, as his
special envoy at the concluding celebrations of the centenary of the
institution of the Ecclesiastical Province of Managua, scheduled to
be held on 2 December 2013. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez
substitutes Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of
Caracas, Venezuela.

The
cardinal special envoy will be accompanied by a mission composed of
the following members: Don Julio Cesar Arana Gonzalez, priest of the
parish of San Judas Taddeo in Managua and judicial vicar of the
archdiocese, and Don Alfonso Alvarado Lugo, rector of the national
shrine of “Jesus del Rescate” in Rivas and penitentiary vicar of
the diocese of Granada.

-
appointed Rev. Raul Biord Castillo, S.D.B., as bishop of La Guaira
(area 1,497, population 388,000, Catholics 352,000, priests 50,
permanent deacons 2, religious 55), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was
born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1989.
He holds a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Salesian
University, Rome. and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical
Gregorian University, Rome. He has served in the following roles:
parish vicar in the parish of San Juan Bosco, Caracas; chaplain for
the nuns of Los Teques, professor at the Institute of Theology for
Religious Persons (ITER) of Caracas and professor and rector of the
“P. Ojeda” Salesian University Institute of Los Teques. He is
provincial vicar of the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco in
Venezuela.

-
appointed Fr. Patrick Chisanga, O.F.M. Conv., as bishop of Mansa
(area 51,000, population 1,162,000, Catholics 434,000, priests 55,
permanent deacons 2, religious 99), Zambia. The bishop-elect was born
in Kamuchanga, Zambia in 1971 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He
completed his studies in Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian
University, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles,
including parish priest, guardian and formator at the St. Bonaventure
College Regina Pacis of Chawama-Lusaka, guardian and director of
studies at the Makeny Friary of Lusaka, and professor of Zambia and
Malawi. He is currently professor at the St. Bonaventure College.

-
appointed Msgr. Andrea Turazzi of the clergy of Ferrara-Comacchio as
bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro (area 800, population 68,341,
Catholics 61,696, priests 71, permanent deacons 8, religious 77),
Italy-San Marino. The bishop-elect was born in Stellata di Bondeno,
Italy in 1948 and was ordained a priest in 1972. He holds a
licentiate in theology from the He has served in a number of pastoral
roles in the archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio, including vicar of the
parishes of Madonnina in Ferrara, and Pontelagoscuro, spiritual
director of the archiepiscopal seminary, priest of the parishes of
Corpus Domini and Sacra Famiglia in Ferrara. He has also been
director of the diocesan office and co-ordinator of pastoral offices,
archiepiscopal delegate for the permanent diaconate and for the Ordo
Virginum, and assistant for Catholic Action. He is a member of the
presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors. He was named
Chaplain of His Holiness in 2006.

-
appointed Msgr. Alain de Raemy as auxiliary bishop of Lausanne,
Geneve and Fribourg (area 5,557, population 1,619,000, Catholics
703,000, priests 508, permanent deacons 25, religious 1,185),
Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1959
and was ordained a priest in 1986. He holds a licentiate in theology
from the University of Fribourg. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including priest of the parish Cristo Rey in
Fribourg, parish priest and canon of the cathedral of St. Nicholas,
moderator of the “Notre Dame” pastoral unit, Fribourg. He is
currently chaplain of the Pontifical Swiss Guard in the Vatican.